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| Tourism stuck in challenges |
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by
Gedion Munthali, 01 October 2003
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18:33:52
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Despite sneaking out occasionally with notable achievements, the Tourism sector is still stuck in a forest of challenges, which can be surmounted with a mixbag of energies, talent and resources.
Secretary for Tourism, Parks and Wildlife Beaton Munthali said Wednesday the sector still lacks the capacity of small and medium enterprises to climb the stairs of the tourism agenda.
Addressing a team of American journalists who were on a week-long study tour of a number of tourist attractions in southern and central Malawi, Munthali said the investment climate was not yet appetising in the face of the global economic trends.
“The current state of affairs in the global economy has thrown a number of countries, including Malawi, into a tight corner, thereby choking out incentives for investment,” said Munthali.
The Tourism Secretary also noted that dollar pricing of accommodation and such other services in the hospitality industry was another glitch which needed knocking down.
“We are trying to see how we can go around such a snag,” he said at Sunbird Lilongwe Hotel.
Lack of resources to set the wheels of the Tourism Strategic Plan rolling, Munthali said, was another worry on the back of his mind and that of his ministry.
Notwithstanding the weight of the foregoing setbacks, Munthali said his ministry has posted a number of achievements among them last year’s launch of a tourism plan, which is a map down the road of glory.
Munthali also cited as a success story the launch of a new tourism logo, which he said responds to the demands of the ever-competitive market.
“We have also established a tourism website which we consider to be an effective tool for marketing our tourism endowments,” said Munthali, adding that a tourism database has also been developed to make information handy.
He said his ministry is conducting ongoing training for tour guides and artisans to make them market-oriented.
The Regional Tourism Organisation for Southern Africa (Retosa) sponsored the tour of the journalists, who commended Malawi’s tourism potential, but noted that a number of issues remain outstanding, among them the marketing strategy to penetrate the American market. |
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